Doute de la Mort
by OfMirthandTears
Summary: When Teddy heads off to his first year at Hogwarts, demons of the war rise to battle his family and he starts to realize his own doubts about the Wizarding World. . .


A/N: Do not own HP.

Reminder that Teddy Lupin's birth name is Edward.

Remus, Tonks and Snape survived.

* * *

Macklebury Avenue was a quiet, quaint street located on the outskirts of the even quieter and quainter town of Tidworth. A neatly cobbled road divided lines of tall houses with pruned hedges and bright flowers beds. In was, in the simplest words, a perfect ordinary street.

Unless, of course, you took a look at the house wedged firmly between Numbers 34 and 36. Number 35, Macklebury Avenue was missing its number (the neighbors still referred to it as Number 35) the lawn was more scrubs than grass, and the door (which you could barely see through the tall, thick brush that was in front of the house) was a bright shade of purple.

Even more odd than the house were its inhabitants, the Lupins. Mrs. Lupin, for example, was considerably younger than her husband, and her constantly shifting hair color was a persistant source of confusion for the other residents of Tidworth. Their oldest son, Edward, was rarely even seen without the company of his younger brother, Lyall, nor without a dark cap pulled tightly over his hair. The family rarely left their home, and when they did, it was done while wearing robe-like clothing, and they returned late at night, often with oddly shaped packages or strange looking companions.

Poor Mrs. Willos of Number 33 almost called the police when Mr. Lupin appeared one day carrying an owl. "An owl!" she repeatedly told her dubious husband. "He wasn't there - and then he was! And he had a real-like owl!" She did phone the police when a giant of a man - nearly ten feet tall - came ambling down the road towards the Lupins' house. When a single officer showed up - a thin bespectacled man with a curious lightning bolt scar on his forehead - he had taken one look at the giant and burst out laughing. He had patted the befuddled Mrs. Willos on the arm, wished her a good day, and then left.  
When the odd gusts and the bright hair, with the owls that came and went from the house nearly every day, with the clothes and the children and the fact that Mr. Lupin looked as if he was going to drop dead half of the time, the Lupins were a very peculiar family.

Yes, very peculiar indeed.

—-

"But Mum! I want one!"

"Teddy, you've already got a cat, you don't need an owl as well," Nymphadora Lupin scolded her oldest son absentmindedly as she ripped through that morning's copy of The Daily Prophet. "Plus, your father has an owl."

"Yeah, but that's Alastor and he's boring! Please?"  
"No, Teddy."

Hair darkening from sky blue to navy, the eleven-year old sumped backwards in his chair and scowled. "I don't even want a cat."

"Nonsense, love," Dora said briskly, folding up her paper. "You practically started crying tears of joy when you picked him out. You'll love - what was it you named him? Jensen? Cromwell?"

"Geeves." Teddy stabbed his sausage viciously. "Stupid cat. . ."

"Sorry, darling, but you're stuck with 'em."

"Sucker," Lyall sniggered from beside Teddy.

Teddy threw a scathing look at his brother, five years his junior. "Shut up, dung head!"

"Teddy, be nice to your brother." Dora poured herself a cup of tea.

"Why?"

"Because your mother says so," Remus said dryly as he entered the kitchen. "Are we all ready?"

"Yes!" Lyall shoveled the rest of his sausage and eggs into his mouth as Dora drained her mug. "Let's go!"

"You sure about this sweetheart?" The pink-haired witch asked Remus, as he pulled a brightly wrapped gift front the cupboard above the sink. "Full moon is coming up. . ."

"I'm fine," Remus said firmly, closing the cupboard door with a snap. His jaw was locked. "It's Harry's birthday and I'm going to be there."

Dora gave her husband a long look. "Alright then. Ted! Lyall! Get your coats!"

Teddy groaned and reluctantly heaved himself up form the table as Lyall bounded up and out of the kitchen.

"It'll be fun," Remus said slowly and he followed his sons into the hall. "I'll be fine."

"Last time you said that, you splinched yourself," Dora told him pointedly as she helped Lyall into his sweater.

Remus 'hmmed', but said nothing as he pulled on his own cloak.

"Do we have to go?" Teddy asked his father moodily.

Remus gave him a hard stare. "Is there any reason why you don't want to go?"

Teddy shrugged a shoulder. " 'Dunno. I'm just - " His voice dropped to a mumble. "You know, going off to Hogwarts tomorrow. . ."

Remus waited patiently as Teddy search for his next words. When the boy next spoke, Remus almost had to strain to hear.

"And, I'm scared to go…"

The werewolf cast a look towards Dora and Lyall, then dropped to crouch so he could view his son eye-to-eye. "There's nothing to be afraid of, Edward," he said gently. "I know it's daunting, but I'll be there. You'll make friends - "

"What if no one likes me?"

Remus hushed him. "People will love you."

"I've only ever had friends with the Weasleys."

"And they like you just fine, right?" Remus prodded. "Edward." He lifted the boy's chin with his index finger. "You are going to be brilliant."

Teddy's hair was a stormy grey. "But what if - "

"Remus! Teddy!"

Both Lupins jerked around when Dora poked her head back into the hall. "We're going to be late!"

Remus stood and placed a comforting hand on Teddy's shoulder. "We'll talk later, okay?"

Teddy wouldn't meet his eyes, but nodded and muttered, "Yeah, okay."

Dora and Lyall were waiting by the fireplace as the werewolf and his son entered.

"Let's go!" Lyall bobbed up and down next to his mother.

"Yes, love, we're going!" Dora dug around in the chipped flower pot on the mantle. "Got everything? Present? Jacket? Pants?" She cast a fine powder in the hearth and green flames burst into life inside of it. Grasping Lyall firmly by the hand, Dora stepped into the fire and shouted "The Hollow!" and they vanished.

"I can do it myself," Teddy said when Remus nudged him forward. He shrugged his father's hand off his shoulder. The young Metamorphmagus stepped into the fireplace and took a deep breath. "The Hollow!"

Into the fire he went, and then he was spinning away. Teddy caught glimpses of other fireplaces, other people that he would never know. He saw a couple embracing in front of a couch, a child laughing, a vase flying straight towards him, and then, suddenly, it stopped.

Teddy stumbled out of The Hollow's fireplace and had to cough several times to get the soot out of his throat. His eyes were watering. When his vision focused, a dark-haired, freckled face swam into view, mouth stretched in a gap-toothed grin.

"Teddy!" James Potter bellowed, throwing himself onto the older boy gleefully. "Teddy! Teddy! Teddy!"

"Hullo James," Teddy wheezed. "Good to see you, but you're, er, crushing my windpipe."

"Oh. Sorry!" He stepped back and his brother, Albus, waved at Teddy from his perch on the piano bench.

"Hi Al."

Albus giggled and said nothing, then jumped off the bench to dash over to his mother, who was chatting with Dora by the window.

"Teddy!" Ginny grinned when she caught sight of him. "Great to see you - LOOK OUT!"

Teddy hurriedly jumped aside to avoid being plowed over his father, emerging from the fireplace and brushing ash from robes.

"Good afternoon, Ginny," Remus smiled and crossed the room to kiss the woman lightly on the cheek. "How are you?"

"Fire!" Ginny said as she picked up Albus. Balancing the five-year old on her hip, she continued in a more concerned tone. "But how are you? Tonks said that you might not be coming…?"

"Did she?" Remus shot a look at his wife, who found herself immensely interested in the window curtains. "Well, I'm perfectly all right. Where's Harry? We've come bearing gifts." He held up the present and Albus let out a "Oooh" at the rainbow striped paper.

"Oh, he should be out in the back garden with Ron and Hugo," Ginny said, not sounding all that interested, as her attention had become suddenly focused on something just over Remus' shoulder. "James Sirius Potter! You're supposed to be watching your sister, not tormenting her!"

James looked up innocently from where he and Lyall stood, the former dangling a stuffed bear above a red-faced Lily. The three year old's eyes were watering and her mouth was opening for the inevitable screech. "What?"

"You know perfectly well what!" Ginny snapped. "Give your sister her bear back and go do whatever it is you do out in the garden!" She turned back to Remus, looking just a little bit exhausted. "Sorry. Harry is out in the yard. Want a glass of wine, Remus? Tonks?"

"I'll pass."

"Thank you, Ginny, but no."

"If you say so. More for me. Now, Teddy!" Ginny's brown eyes fixated on Teddy. "Look at you. Big day tomorrow, eh?"

Teddy shifted on his feet. "Um, yeah, it is."

"You got your wand?"

"We went out yesterday," Tonks piped up as Remus disappeared from the room. "Show her, Ted!"  
Teddy fumbled in his back pocket and withdrew a slender stick. "10 1/2 inches. Cherry. Unicorn hair."

"It's pretty," Ginny praised as she examined it. "Perfect for a Gryffindor." She grinned at Teddy, who felt his heart plummet.

"Ridiculous!" Tonks cried. "My boy was born a Hufflepuff! He came out with black and yellow hair, you know."

"Really?" Albus asked curiously.

"No!" Remus shouted from out of the room.

"Shut up, Remus!" Tonks bellowed back. "It's true," she added in an undertone to Albus with a wink.

"Maybe you'll be in Slytherin," Lyall sniggered to Teddy and James' eyes grew to the size of dinner plates.

"There are perfectly fine Slytherins out there," Tonks admonished.

"Like Snape?" Albus asked, his fingers entwined in his mother's red hair.

"Y-well." Tonks grimaced. "Sure. Like Snape."

"Don't let Uncle Ron hear that," Ginny told Albus seriously, bopping the boy on the nose gently.

"Don't let me hear what?" Ron had wandered into the living room, Hugo slung over his shoulder. The little red-headed boy was giggling madly as he beat his father's back with fat, little fists.

"Snape is a good Slytherin!" Albus insisted above Hugo's shrieks.

Ron's face twisted in disgust. "Did he have to bright him up?"

"Blame your nephew," Tonks laughed, ruffling Albus' hair affectionately. "Ginny, can I actually have that wine?"

Teddy reluctantly followed his mother and Ginny into the kitchen, not wanting to be left alone with the kids, but also dreading any conversations with the adults.

"George and Angelina stopped by earlier," Hermione Weasley was saying to Remus when the trio entered. "But she got cramps like something awful and they ducked out. Oh, hey Teddy! Big day tomorrow!"

"Yeah," Teddy muttered. "Happy birthday, Harry."

Harry looked up from the counter, where he was pouring cups of tea. "Thanks for the warm greetings."

Teddy forced a smile onto his face and his hair to be a slightly lighter shade of silver. "Sorry. But seriously, happy birthday."

Harry was laughing. "I'm joking, relax! And thanks for the robes. Your dad said that you and your brother picked them out?"

That was only partially true. A seven-hour shopping trip last week that involved constant fighting, several fires and a very old ghoul resulted in Remus giving up and purchasing the first pair or robes that he saw. But, Teddy had set the robes right next to that pair on fire (accidentally, of course!) so he sort of helped pick them out.

"Uh, welcome. Lyall said they would match your eyes."

Remus sniggered into his cup of tea and Teddy had to resist rolling his eyes at his father.

"Anyways," Hermione went on and Remus turned his attention back to the witch. "I heard there's a new Transfiguration teacher this year?"

The werewolf stirred his tea. "Yes. Benedict Gables. American."

"American?" Ron asked, wrestling Hugo into a chair.

"Nice bloke," Remus said slowly, still stirring his tea. "Bit odd, but you know…American."

"Hey!" Ron called over to the babble to Harry. "Remember that chap from Texas back in '06? The one sticking enchanted rattle snakes up muggles' - "

The rest of the afternoon passed smoothly. Neville Longbottom popped in around one with his fiancee, Hannah Abbot, and expressed his delight at being able to teach Teddy finally. He was followed very soon after by Luna Lovegood and her husband, Rolf, who Teddy thought looked rather like an owl. Victoire Weasley came up to him during cake-time and told him very seriously that he must write to her every day about Hogwarts. Ron joked that Remus would have to disown Teddy is he ended up in Slytherin.

Remus didn't say anything. Teddy felt vaguely ill.

That night, after Lyall face-planted straight into his bowl of ice-cream, Tonks stood and loudly declared that is was time for them to leave. Teddy bid Harry a quick-goodbye and the raven-haired wizard promised that he would be at the station the next morning to see them all off.

When the Lupins flooed home, Teddy immediately retreated to his bedroom without a word to his parents.

"What if I end up in Slytherin?" Teddy whispered to Geeves, scratching the cat behind his ears. He leaned back against his mattress and stared at the poster of the singer Vance Valentine that he had tacked to his ceiling last year. Her purple eyebrows waggled suggestively at him. "What if no one likes me? What - What if I don't want to go to Hogwarts?"

"Do you want to go to Hogwarts?"

Teddy jumped into a sitting position and Geeves sprang from his lap with a discontented growl. Remus stood in the doorway, hands in the pockets of his slacks.

"Do you want to go to Hogwarts?" He repeated when Teddy remained silent.

"I - I - " Teddy stammered. He took a breath and looked at his lap. "I do, but -"

"Edward." Remus took a seat next to Teddy on the bed. "Look at me." Teddy hesitantly met his father's eyes.

"It is perfectly normal to be nervous," Remus said gently. "It is going to be a big change. But you're going to make a lot of new fiends, and I'll be there. You'll see me more than you do usually," he said with a wry smile. "And - " His brow furrowed. "And if you don't like it, we'll look into other options. There are some smaller schools around the country and, of course, you could always be homeschooled - "

"No," Teddy said loudly. "No, no homeschooling."

Remus chuckled. "All right, all right. No homeschooling. But…we'll figure something out. And, Edward? Don't worry about whatever house you end up in. Your mother and I will be proud wherever you end up."

"Really?"

"Absolutely." Remus nodded. "Our family is full of fine witches and wizards from all of the Houses. Your mother was a Hufflepuff, Sirius and I Gryffindors. . . My parents were both Ravenclaws and your Grandromeda was a Sytherin. And she's a lovely woman, right?"  
"Right. . . "

"So does it matter?"  
"No…" Teddy said slowly.

"Exactly."

"I hope I end up in Gryffindor."

Remus snorted and ruffled his son's hair. "We'll see tomorrow, won't we?" He stood. "Good night, Edward."

"Night, Dad."

The werewolf's son leaned back against the pillows and resumed his staring at Vance Valentine, thought his heart felt substantially lighter than it did before.

* * *

Reviewers get the Marauder of their choice alone for a night. Oh, the possibilities . . .


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